Electric igniter for gas-engines.



No. 859,510. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907. B. MoINNBRNEY.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.21,1899.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN MCINNERNEY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS DOHME, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

EL.'ECTRIC IGNI'IER FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed Nuvem fl 21,1899. Serial No. 787,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bmr'rms Molnsmmnna citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have inventspark is not produced atthe time when the electrical' currentis at its highest efficiency; To overcome this: ".20" ances' for sepalating the electrodes (which may be one ed certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Ignitersfor Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

In that class oiinternal combustion engines where an electric spark is-the medium of ignitingthe charge and where a generatorfurnishes an electrical impulse or succession of impulses to the: igniter, difiiculties have been experienced from theiact that the electrodes, of the electric" igniterare sometimes separated before or; after the electrical impulse is at its point of highest efliciency,-resulting from the wear of the gears or cams or connections for the slipping of adjusting 4 i the I 1:

screws "etcI, so that many instances the igniting defect I dispense with the .use' of mechanical applior both moya ble) and instead I make use oi the current producedat thegenerator to operatfea motor which acituats the electrodes, so that the latter, are separated at r the moment when motor is moved by the generated curreutiand which, of course, is at the moment'when,

, the in itsmo'st effective condition.

. In the have-illustrated one construction of inventiontf p I In said Figure 1 is an elevation, in part sec-' apparatus which'may be employed in carrying out my ti6n', 6f suflicieht of a gas engine to illustrate my invenl v tion.- Fig". 2 is an enlarged side view showing the cylinderheadfilectricaligniter and electric motor for optheirame of the engi-naand'an armature, 1, carried by f any of a1 e lec'trode,-a, and a movable electrode,

through themediumoi it, y.

gemin rnetamt; and Fig. 3 is a face view of the parts Fig.2, in the direction of the arrow". flfh engine mounted upon a suitable foundation, X,

cylinder-,1 by the frame, is provided suitableelectrical igniter, that shown con 9 'an armupona roclsshaftb.

provided.- withla generator which, as of a horse-shoe magnet, 2, carried by "the fly-wheel, B, an'd around the poles of the magnet are wound'coils', 3, iniel ec l'cal circuit with the igniter The .igniter instead of being operated mechanically to break the circuit is operated electrically through the j medium of ma num created in the stile by the passage of the armature across the magnet of the generator.

This may be done in any suitable manner, through the medium of any suitable electric motor. As shown there is a motor, D, consisting of two electro-magnets, the coils of which are in circuit with the circuit including the igniting circuit-breaker and the generator. Opposite the electric motor, D, is a lever, e, pivoted at f and carrying the armature e, of the electric motor,

and the end of the lever extends between the prongsd, d of a forked arm on the end of the shaft, b, of the movable electrode,

A spring, h, which may be adjustable to any desired tension, throws the lever, e, into contact with the prong, d, and thereby rocks the shaft, 6, to maintain the electrodes in contact.

When acu rrentL is generated-in the generator by eof the armature, 1', over themagnet 2 it passes through the ignitei', the electrodes of which are in contact, and-also through the coils of the electric motor,, D, and byexcitingth'e magnets of the latter causes the armature 0', 120 56 ,to'the magnets, hringingthelever', e, forcibly the prong, d of the fork, rocking the shaft, 6,. carrying the elect'rode, c, awayfromthe electrode, a breaking the circuit and causing a'spa'rk-whiche'xplodesthe charge. It will be seen that these operations; which are practically simultaneous, and the springh' is compressed so that the operations will takeplace as the current in the electric circuit reaches its maximum intensity, and

that it is not possible for the electrodesto be separated c'reate, intermittently, a difference of electric poten tial which becomes available 'to supply current for the sparln A'ny electric generator capable of. said functions may beemploy'ed, for cooperation with a magnetic or motor controlled sparking plug, to emand realize the invention herein disclosed and claimed. Otherwise statedpl do not limit myself to the particular electric generator herein shown and described, contemplate the use of any generator capable oi the functions above noted.

With an eleeaicgenemqr thus capable of creating, intermittently, a difference of electric potential which becomes available to supply the desired current for use with a magnetic or electrically controlled sparking plug, there is no necessity for any mechanism, such as a commutator or switch, to open and close the igniter circuit at any other point than at the electrodes. This' is a radical distinction over any combination including a magnetic plug or electrically controlled sparking denoted distinction differentiates the invention herein disclosed and claimed from any igniter combination including a magnetic plug and an ordinary dynamo or magneto, arranged to create continuously a difference of electric potential available to supply the cur- :rent whenever the circuit is closed; for the reason that all such organizations require a timing device, such as a commutator or switch, to close the igniter circuit at some additional point, besides at the electrodes, during the interval oi time throughout which the current is supplied. Moreover, it should be noted that with an electric generator arranged to create, intermittently, a difference of electric potential which becomes available to supply current for the spark, the current is delivered in a single impulse which is essential to the practical success of a magnetic sparking plug, It is not practicable ,to use a magnetic plug in an igniter circuit which includes a sparking or kickback coil; ior the reason'thatthe circuit would open at the magnetic plug before the coil can discharge. Such sparking or kick-back coils are very generally employed, and are universally employed, when batteries are used as the generator, for the reason that it is commercially impracticable to employ enough cells to raise the E. M. 'F. high enough to dispense with the sparking or kick-back coil.

Attention iscalled to the fact that the electric motor herein shown and described is arranged to operate with a hammerlike blow for separating the electrodes to producethe spark. This is a feature of considerable importance. The electrodes should, for the best results, be quicklyseparated, and this must be done when the explosive mixture isunder compression, requiring considerable force,therefore, for the purpose. By utilizing a hammerlike blow, the quick separation is insured and the required amount of force is rendered available from a motor of less power than would otherwise be required. The motor herein disclosed is in the form of an electro magnet or magnets, having a spring-held armature lever-for imparting the separating blow to the electrodes. Hence thearmature lever will start to move at a lower voltage than if. directly connected to one of the electrodes, and the nearer said armature lever approaches the core or cores'oi the magnets, the greater the attraction, of

course, under the. well known law as to the square of the distances, and hence the blow is imparted at the instant when the armature lever is under the influence of the maximum attractive force. Practice has demonstrated this to be a highly oflicient form of electrical circuit breaker in igniters for explosive engines.

is shown, the armature lever of the motor also throws the movable electrode into circuit closing position with a hammerlike blow, under the-action oi the levers retracting spring; but that function is not.

of equally great importance. The place where the hammerlike blow is especially needed is at the separation of the electrodes.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts, I'claim as my invention:

1. An-electric igniter for explosive engines, comprising an electric generator arranged to create, intermittently, a difference or electric potential available to supply current forthe spark, an i'gniter circuit supplied trom said generator and having separable electrodes in the explosion chamber of the engine, and an electric motor actuated by current supplied from said generator and operating to separate said electrodes to produce the spark.

2. An electric igniter for explosive engine, comprising an electric generator arranged to generate, intermittently, current for the spark, an igniter circuit supplied from said generator andprovided with electrodesdn the explosion chamber of the engine, *one' r'iiovab l e dnd the other stationary, said electrodes belng insulated from each other, and an electric motor also in said igniter circuit and controlling the movable member of said electrodes, to make and break said circuit, substantially as described.

3. In an explosive engine, the combination with an electric generator arranged to generate, intermittently, current for. the spark, an igniter circuit supplied from said generator and provided with electrodes in the explosion chamber, insulated from each other, one of'whiclr'ls movable and is carried by an armature lever; and an electromagnet also in said igniter circuit and operative on said armature lever, whereby the circuit will be broken approximately at the instant-of maximum generation, substantially as described.

4. In an explosive engine, the combination with a magneto generator arranged to generate, intermittently, current for the spark of an igniter circuit supplied from said magneto generator andprovided with electrodes in the explosion chamber insulated from each other, one of which electrodes is movable, and an electric motor also in said circuit having an armature connected to operate said movable electrode, to make and break the ignitemcircult, substantially as described.

5. An electrlc lgniter for explosive engines, comprising an electric generator arranged to generate current intermittently, an igniter circuit supplied from sald generator and provided with electrodes in the explosion chamber of the engine, insulated from each other, one' of which electrodes is movable, and an electric motor also-in said ignite'r. circuit and controlling the movable electrode, to make and break said circuit, substantially as described.

6. The combination with-a gas engine, of a magneto generator arranged'thereon to generate currents intermittently, a circuit including said magneto-generator, electrodes carried by the cylinder, one movable and the other stationary and insulated, and an electric motor also in said circuit and having an armature connected to operate the movable electrode to make and break the circuit, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a gas engine, of a circuit including a magneto-generator and made and broken only within the ignition chamber, separableclectrodes in said circuit, an electric motor also in said circuit and having an armature connected'to operate the movable electrode to make and break the circuit, and means for preventing the movement of the armature until the actuating current reaches its maximum intensity, substantially as set forth.

8. in an igniter for explosive engines, the combination electric motor: supplied with current from said generator .and arranged to impart a hammerlike blow to separate said electrodes to produce the spark.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. 15

BENJAMIN MCINNERNE" Witnesses J. B. GARN Y. H. .T. IODLIZSAK. 

